The present invention relates to a device for measuring radioactive contamination of a body such as a food product and, in particular, to a device of this kind proceeding from the gamma radiation resulting from disintegration of one or more radioactive elements that have contaminated the body.
Devices are known that can measure separately the various types of radiation, alpha, beta, and gamma, coming from radioactive contaminants in order to detect and reject food products whose contamination level is such that ingestion of these products by human beings could be hazardous thereto. Although these devices perform their function properly, their sensitivity to gamma radiation is often inadequate.
A device for measuring gamma activity manufactured by the Berthold Company (Germany) and sold under the name "Becquerel-Monitor LB 200" is also known. This device comprises a sodium iodide crystal scintillator associated with a photomultiplier which requires a high-voltage power supply. Such a power supply is expensive, heavy, and bulky, and hence not portable. In addition, the device uses product samples that must be destroyed by grinding to prepare them for measurement.